H.R. 1520 · Passed House · Health

Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act

Sponsor: Kat Cammack (R-FL)

What it does

• Prohibits health care providers and organ matching entities from denying or restricting access to organ transplants solely because of an individual's disability.
• Allows a disability to be considered only when a physician finds, through an individualized evaluation, that it is medically significant to the transplant.
• Specifies that a disability is not medically significant if the individual has an adequate support system to meet transplant-related requirements.
• Requires reasonable policy changes to make transplants and related care more available to people with disabilities, with claims heard on an expedited basis by the HHS Office of Civil Rights.
• Bars the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network board from issuing policies that hinder transplant access based solely on disability.

Official summary

Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act This bill expressly prohibits health care providers and other entities involved in matching donated organs with recipients from denying or restricting an individual's access to organ transplants solely on the basis of the individual's disability, except in limited circumstances. Specifically, these entities may consider an individual's disability when making decisions about transplants only if a physician finds, based on an individualized evaluation, that the individual's physical or mental disability is medically significant to the provision of the transplant. A disability shall not be considered medically significant if the individual has an adequate support system in place to comply with transplant-related medical requirements. These entities must also make reasonable changes to their policies to make transplants and related care more available to individuals with disabilities. Aggrieved individuals may bring claims of discrimination to the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill provides for expedited resolutions of these claims. In addition, the board of directors of the…

Latest action

Jun 24, 2025: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Committee: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions